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WRITING FOR MY LIFE…

“THEY SAY ‘LIFE’S A GAME’ SO I PLAY HARD…WRITIN’ FOR MY LIFE ‘CAUSE I’M SCARED OF DAY JOB” – Common

This is a quote from Common’s song “They Say”…Not only is this an ill lyric from my favorite MC, Common, its a personal realization drawn from my feelings about being an member of the labor force. I realize I as well as countless others, hate to consistently go into a job in which we have no passion for. Its not about being lazy, its about exerting large amounts of energy doing something you don’t enjoy, for meager amounts of compensation.

If you hate your job and you’re currently working a full time schedule, your job tends to become your life. If you hate your job, and this job is a major part of your life, by association…you HATE a major part of your life, which is “wack”. I hold pure contempt for many of my previous jobs, now that I’m unemployed that hatred has been subsided. In order to retain this high level of freedom and accompanying happiness, I try to make sure I never have to partake in these dead end jobs ever again.

My particular method of avoiding the harsh reality of life-that is a dead end job? WRITING!
In a sense I’m writing for my life, because I’m scared of a day job…

“They Say”: Common

QUESTION?

How many people are currently receiving unemployment compensation as of right now?

An even better question would be…

How many people are currently unemployed and doing something useful with their somewhat “paid” hiatus?

I’ve been unemployed for sometime now, like many others during periods of economic recession. One day I walked into work and noticed many grim looks of disappointment on my co-worker’s faces, I knew what was about to go down. On this remarkable day in question, my manager which I will simply refer to as “management”, brought me in to this quiet conference room to give me the bad news. The atmosphere of this room was so pensive you could cut the tension with a knife. As management informed me of my termination due to employee downsizing, it took every fiber of my being, not too crack a smile. In contrast to the look of what seemed to be sincere disdain on management’s face, inside I felt like giving this guy a hug! I was oddly excited to be unemployed!

I have been a highly active participant of the work force for about five years at that time, even sometimes having two to three jobs at once! The longest I’ve been out of work was about two weeks. Due to the fact that I was at this particular job for over 18 months, I was eligible to receive unemployment compensation (assuming my my employment was terminated by management and not by me). So as I sat there and received this “horrid” news, all I could think about was how I would finally be able to pursue the things that were most important to ME, all the while getting a weekly paycheck. I shook management’s hand, listened to his apologies, and said ” Its no problem, I fully understand” My nonchalant nature must’ve threw him for a loop, he was probably expecting the stereotypical angry black man. I had no major responsibilities at the time, so I wasn’t angry or sad in the least.

After being let go, I was finally able to re-assign my focus to the things I really wanted to do. The mentally exhausting eight hours of tedious work was now subject to my own personal preference. While working a dead end job, we constantly seem to fantasize of doing something better with our time. For me a world of music and writing was my way to break free from the mundane nature of the daily grind. For others it could be acting, modeling or various other instances. I had a plan, but as we all know, things don’t always go according to plan.

Once unemployed, It seemed as if all of my ambition had vanished. My writing, my extensive reading and several of my business endeavors were put on the back burner. The absence of employment, increased my freedom, thus increasing my amount of leisure activities. I noticed when you’re employed to a unsatisfactory job, the sense of urgency to either find another job or to focus on your calling, is at its peak. Think about how many people search for jobs while on the clock at the current job that they hate.

As I approach the end of my unemployment benefits, I feel as if I’m in race against time toward a goal of financial freedom and the clock is ticking. Relating back to Common’s quote, I’m with out a doubt writing for my life. Don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to convey. I’m not writing merely to achieve a higher financial standing, I’m striving for a higher sense of self worth at the same time freeing myself from the constraints of a boring 9 to 5.

I know most people are currently working a job they despise, and for various reasons. Some people have highly important bills, or have many other financial obligations they need to take care of. Because of these of these obligations, people have to curb their appetite for more. Due to the constant need for money, and the stability that comes with it, many quests for greatness are often stifled. I on the other hand, was given the opportunity to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and still get paid. Despite my previous quest for greatness, during this extended time off from working, I feel as if I have squandered away all my plans of action.

So in these last few months of unemployment, my focus has been renewed. I’m writing to ensure I never have to wake up early to go to a job I don’t like. I’m writing to enhance my chances at making a more substantial amount of money. I’m writing to increase my input in society and I’m writing to maintain my sanity and my happiness. Most of all, I’m writing for my life, because I’m scared of a day job.